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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND!👋

Get ready for another slate of mostly sunny days with highs in the mid-70s, and with only a whisper of showers (saying psst-psst-psst!) on Sunday. And now, get ready for more than a whisper of NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Big news from City Hall! After months of citizens begging the city to kick ICE out of their facility in Southwest Portland, there has been some positive (if not conclusive) movement. Yesterday, Mayor Keith Wilson's office announced that ICE has violated the terms of their land use agreement for the facility, by detaining immigrants for more than their allotted time in at least 25 instances between October 1, 2024 and July 27, 2025. The city's conditional use permit prohibits ICE from holding detainees at its Portland facility overnight, or for more than 12 hours—a rule they have repeatedly broken. City leaders say they are going to send a notice of violation to the ICE headquarters, which will start the loooong process that could eventually result in the eviction of the agency... though it's certainly not a sure thing. There's a lot of nuance to this story, so be sure to read our Taylor Griggs' version which offers a lot of smart detail you won't read anywhere else!

Anti-ICE protesters have spent months calling on Portland leaders to revoke a permit allowing ICE to operate in the South Waterfront. Today, Mayor Keith Wilson said ICE violated conditions of its land use permit by holding detainees longer than allowed.

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— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) September 17, 2025 at 4:26 PM

• The city's budget forecast is... not good, and with Portland facing a potential $16 million general fund deficit (!), City Administrator Michael Jordan announced a temporary hiring freeze for almost all departments. The freeze is expected to start on October 1 and could continue all the way until July 2026, and was reportedly the result of the city losing 6 percent of projected business tax revenue last year. The hiring freeze will not be applied to “critical safety positions” such as police, firefighters, and 911 employees. (Note to those reading the full story over at the Oregonian: Their article seems to blame Portland's budget woes on City Council's [correct] decision to award $8.5 million to the descendants of Black Portlanders whose homes in the Albina neighborhood were destroyed in the name of urban renewal, rather than say, the Portland Police who have cost the city more than $9.1 million in settlement money since 2020. Weird why the Oregonian would choose to pick one number over another, isn't it? 🤔)

• Since the federal government can no longer be trusted, a West Coast alliance of governors—from Oregon, Washington, California and Hawaii—issued COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for their respective state's citizens yesterday. Going against current CDC guidance (because RFK Jr.), the alliance of governors is recommending that everyone over the age of 6 months get their booster shot, or in short, “all who choose protection” and not just those considered high-risk. Currently, Americans are expected to get a doctor's prescription before they're able to get the potentially life-saving vaccine, and this new recommendation from the states' governors is a move to counteract the CDC's delusional and dangerous activity.

• I have only one word in response to this headline: "Mark Cuban turned down chance to join Tom Dundon’s Portland Trail Blazers ownership group." GOOD.

WE ALL THOUGHT we were done talking about Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis, but this new, making-of documentary has
• Ryan Gosling being charming
• Aubrey Plaza dominating all the sniveling goblins that are her co-stars
• Coppola yelling at Shia LeBeouf
Review from @sinacolad.bsky.social

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— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) September 17, 2025 at 5:40 PM

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• In what has got to be the most disgusting example of corporate cowardice I've seen in quite awhile (and that's saying something), the ABC network has pulled late night host Jimmy Kimmel off the air “indefinitely” after conservatives complained about the comedian's comments involving slain terrible person Charlie Kirk. The network made their stupid decision after the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, casually mentioned they might take action against ABC in retaliation of Kimmel's remarks. This decision comes on the heels of CBS cancelling Stephen Colbert’s late show in July, when they were (COINCIDENTALLY I'M SURE) trying to woo Trump into allowing their parent company Paramount to merge with Skydance. Right-wingers are currently being moderately successful in getting any of their critics silenced, ostracized, or even fired for telling the truth about Kirk's actions which promoted transphobia, homophobia, antisemitism, and (ironically) gun deaths. That said, there was one smidge of hopeful news yesterday, after the House declined to censure Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota for her (absolutely accurate) comments about Kirk... though the vote was razor-close, 214-213. 😬

Trump is launching a full blown attack on free speech while his harem of billionaires buys up every media platform. This is no coincidence. It’s a coordinated attack on your fundamental right to speak freely without worrying if you’ll lose your job or worse.

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— Senator Ron Wyden (@wyden.senate.gov) September 18, 2025 at 7:40 AM

• Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi is getting heat from both Democrats and her fellow Republicans after she warned that the federal government would be targeting those who use "hate speech"—but only the kind of "hate speech" that racist and homophobic members of the GOP care about, such as anything negative about Charlie Kirk. Unfortunately for Bondi—who should absolutely know better, since she's allegedly the country's top lawyer—"hate speech" is generally protected by the First Amendment, and has since been forced to walk back her obviously ignorant comments. (Saaaaaad trommmboooooone.) 

Trump made a desperate attempt to hide his bruised hand by tucking it under a table during his visit to the U.K.

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— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast.bsky.social) September 18, 2025 at 7:51 AM

• King Fool continues his habit of issuing wild proclamations without offering any detail or how his ideas would work in the real world, after claiming he designate antifa (AKA people who are against fascism) as a “major terrorist organization.” There are a couple of obvious things wrong with this weird idea: 1) Antifa is not a centralized movement or group, but a system of belief. (But since when has truth or accuracy ever been a concern for Trump?) And 2) antifa, even it it were an organized group, is a domestic entity and therefore cannot be included on the State Department’s list of foreign terror organizations. But this wild, unenforceable claim does make one thing clear: Trump is either happy to be associated with fascists, or admitting that he already is one.

Starbucks workers in three states took legal action against the coffee giant Wednesday, saying it violated the law when it changed its dress code but refused to reimburse employees who had to buy new clothes.

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— CBS Philadelphia (@cbsphiladelphia.bsky.social) September 18, 2025 at 8:00 AM

• Today in "a very funny and reasonable excuse to get thrown in jail": "Four arrested after photos of Trump and Epstein projected onto Windsor Castle during president's U.K. visit."

• And finally... yes, I realize it's not even October yet. But the time for getting some inspo for your dog's Halloween costume is NOW.

@xixi.f.193 Which dog Halloween costume is your favorite??? 🎃🎃🎃 #dog #halloween #dogcostume #funnydog #halloweencostume ♬ original sound - viralmusichitsofficial